FIFA recently said that it sold nearly 1.5 million tickets for the Club World Cup matches, yet many of the stadiums had empty seats during the tournament’s first week in the United States.
Fan attendance so far
FIFA stated that over 340,000 fans attended the first eight matches of the tournament from Saturday to Monday.
In the kick-off match of the Club World Cup with Lionel Messi and Inter Miami playing a thrilling 0-0 draw against Egypt’s Al Ahly, the tournament gained the attention and support of 60,927 spectators who were present at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.
Moreover, a total of 80,619 fans also watched Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain as they won over Spanish team Atlético de Madrid with a final scoreline of 4-0 at the Rose Bowl, near Los Angeles. This was the biggest number of spectators either team has played in front of during the 2024-2025 season.
However, despite the big numbers on some matches, the crowd at the MetLife Stadium, where Borussia Dortmund from Germany played Fluminense from Brazil, was only watched by 34,736 fans at an 82,500-seat capacity stadium. The same case also happened at the game, wherein Chelsea FC from England played Los Angeles FC from MLS at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, which can hold up to 71,000 people. It only had 22,137 fans in attendance.
With this, Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca stated: “I think the environment was a bit strange. You know, the stadium was almost empty, not full.”
Nonetheless, FIFA expects more than 50,000 fans to attend the next couple of games in the upcoming week. FIFA president Gianni Infantino stated: “FIFA is proud of the unique and multicultural atmosphere and support this new competition has already generated — and thanks every fan who has brought their voice, passion, and presence as the FIFA Club World Cup continues to grow into the undisputed pinnacle of global club football.”
FIFA declared that fans from over 130 countries bought Club World Cup tickets. The organisation will donate $1 per ticket to the FIFA Global Education Fund, which supports education and football for kids worldwide.
On social media, netizens expressed their thoughts and opinions on FIFA’s statement on fan attendance. One netizen remarked, “I haven’t seen a full stadium in the US, but if you say so 😂😂”
Another netizen wrote, “That’s gotta be a lot more than people watching on TV”
Upcoming matches
Some of the upcoming matches include Real Madrid’s Club World Cup opener against Saudi club Al Hilal on Wednesday at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium. The team will also play Mexican team CF Pachuca on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, and also battle against Austrian club FC Salzburg on June 26 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
Other matches on Friday are England’s Chelsea FC versus Brazil’s CR Flamengo in Philadelphia, and Germany’s FC Bayern München taking on Argentina’s CA Boca Juniors in Miami.